TOW #10

My dad, a typical red-blooded beef eating American, has always been intrested in politics. The more controversial the subject is, the more it seems he wants to talk about. Needless to say, when I approached him with the question of "What should I do for my TOW, " he immediatley recomended a conservative artist, Eli Wasserman. In an effort to avoid unwanting conversation about the current election, I selected an image from a few years ago. Around the time of the Congress election, Wasserman released a cartoon that received massive media attention. Despite the medium he chooses to work with, Wasserman's work is clearly trying to make a statement about the current U.S. Congress. 

In the background Washington D.C., and more specifically the Congress building, is shown while the foreground depicts two congressmen.  The first aspect of this work that makes the overall message more effective is rather simple: each man is wearing a different color tie.  Blue traditionally symbolizes the Democratic party, while red traditionally represents the Republican party. By representing both parties as in cahoots with one another the criticism is broadened to the entirety of congress rather than one party or the other.  This also serves to broaden the audience of the visual text.  If Wasserman were to target only Republicans, for example, he would risk offending readers who primarily agree with the Republican platform.  It would also serve to weaken his argument that Congress as a whole is not invested in the concerns of the people, as representing one party would imply that only that group was at fault.

While this is a visual text, it is still reliant on words to make its overall purpose clear.  The man in blue brings up an actual issue, a notice that all airbags nationwide must be recalled.  In effect this scenario is rather absurd, but in context the entire nation is at risk. The second man simply reassures his startled friend by reminding him that they still have their jobs, and that there is nothing for them to personally worry about. Overall, Wasserman blantly points out how out of touch Congress is with problems that affect everyday Americans.
The larger message of the text is not simply that Congress is content to mull about doing nothing.  Instead it challenges the reader to force their elected officials into action by making it seem like their jobs are at risk.  Changing out one party for the other will not change the issue either, Wasserman's image argues, as it is the people within the institution causing the problem not individual parties.

TOW #9

In his essay, "I lost 100 pounds in a year. My "weight loss" secret is really dumb," Alasdair Wilkins, a student at University of North Carolina, writes about his experiences of losing a staggering 100 pounds. Through his personal experience, he reveals the broader implication of how our weight obsessed culture perpetuates our unhealthy relationship. In order to shed light about the stigma on such a highly opinionated topic, Wilkins uses facts, and anecdotes to change his readers' perception on what it really means to be 'fat'.

First and foremost, 
Wilkins uses statistics to explain the misconceptions behind being overweight. In his essay, he points out that obesity is a result of ones environmental and society rather than ones deliberate actions. When he writes the obesity epidemic, he remarks that "a third of all adults in the United States are obese, and another third are overweight." (11) Then, after using facts to show the severity of the situation, he counters it with the argument that,  "the obesity epidemic doesn't exist because more than 200 million individual people lack willpower, or love food too much, or are too lazy to exercise" (11).  By using data, Wilkins appeals to logos and helps create the argument that weight problems are not issues with individuals, but rather, a result from the high stressed, and subjective society we live in today.

In his introduction,Wilikin uses personal stories to describe his own weight lost journey to the reader. Wilkins draws upon his own feelings and experiences surrounding his life before and after the weight-loss. Wilkins starts the beginning of his essay by listing the ways in which he feels better about life, but then for the rest of the paper, talks to the reader of how he wishes that he was happy with himself regardless of how he looked. The use of stories highlights Wilkins purpose of changing societies opinion on weight in hopes of encouraging others to find satisfaction in themselves and not a scale number.  

Through and through, Wilkins uses facts and anecdotes to craft an engaging and candid essay. He may not have shared a "secret weight loss" cure,but  he reveals to us the impact ones surrounding can have on a persons both physical, and mental well-being. 

IRB Intro #2

This marking I have decided to read, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values. Unlike most philosophy text, the author Robert M. Pirsig takes a carefree approach with topics ranging from the meaning of life, to basic manners.  I've already wanted to read this, and thought this would a good time to start. The book contains a series of anecdotes, coupled with general life lessons. The book itself has sold five million copies, and was on the bestseller list. How he ties motorcycles to the concept of Zen is beyond me, but I am excited to find out how.

TOW #8- France to Lift Ban on Gay Men Donating Blood

This past week, France announced that it will lift a ban on blood donations by gay and bisexual men starting next year. It is one of the many countries that have loosened or scrapped such restrictions, which many see as outdated vestiges of the 1980’s AIDS crisis. Starting in the spring, men who have not been sexually active with other men in the past 12 months will be able to donate blood. Gay men who have had only one partner for the preceding four months, or who have not been sexually active, will be able to donate blood plasma. This policy is very different from the current US standards, where the Food and Drug Administration is still trying to pass legislature to try and end the longstanding ban on blood donations by gay and bisexual men. In order to highlight the progressive aspect of Frances New policy, author Aurelian 

Breeden has used multiple quotes from well-respected figures within France. Many times, she quoted health Minister Marisol Touraine as well as Jean-Luc Romero-Michel, a local politician in Paris and the president of an association of elected officials fighting AIDS, by including statements such as “Giving one’s blood is an act of generosity and of civic responsibility that cannot be conditioned by sexual orientation.” By using these direct quotes, she establishes credibility between the audiences and adds validity to her claim that by lifting this band, France is heading towards a more equal society. Breeden also includes logical facts in order to counter any opposition and address any concerns. Because of the nature of the HIV virus and the fact it may not be detectable for a certain number of months after infection, the French government has included a deferral period that will hopefully be the same as heterosexual donors (4 months.) By addressing the concern of AIDS, and sharing what the deferral policy is, Breeden successfully puts the audience at ease by assuring them that even though homosexual can donate despite the stereotype of HIV, the spread of this disease is not going to increase due to this policy. 

TOW #8- Escape From Camp 14

Reporter Blaine Harden retells the remarkable tale of Shin Dong-Hyuk imprisonment in a North Korea's political prison camp in the book, Escape From Camp 14. These prison camps have existed twice as long as Stalin's gulags and twelve times as long as the Nazi Concentration camps. No one born or raised in these camps has ever escaped- no one, that is, except Shin. In this account, Blaine uses Shin's firsthand stories to try and paint a picture of the torture he and millions of others went through within these death camps. Beaten and tortured, many of the prisoners were subjected to subpar living conditions and harsh rules. During Shin's elementary school days, the teachers and guards often beat him and his classmates. He retells a particular instance in which, for stealing 5 kenerals of corn, a young girl was, " struck in her head again and again. As Shin and his classmates watched in silence, limps puffed up on her skull. Blooded leaked from her nose. She toppled over on the concert floor. Shin and other classmates picked her up and carried her home to the pig farm that night. Later that night, she died" (Blaine. 25) By including these stories, we are able to see how cruel the camps really where, and how the prisoners lived in constant fear. In addition to stories, Blaine also cites relevant facts that allow the audience to understand the historical and political history of the nation. After Shin escapes to China, the author includes many short blurbs about the relationship between China and North Korea. “Since 2002, when hundreds of North Korean asylum seekers embarrassed China by rushing into foreign embassies, soldiers had begun rounding up illegal border crossers and forcibly repatriating tens of thousands of them” (Blaine. 146) This added information helps familiarized the reader on atopic typically not discussed or known about within the West, and allows the reader to gain a better grasp on the human right violations and policies that go on in North Korea.